Project Overview
The creation of Bangkok Pains was a personal project for our team—a chance to tell a story close to our hearts while crafting something that lets each team member showcase their skills and unique creative styles. Inspired by Bangkok’s blend of chaos and charm, we wanted a project that highlighted both our affection and our frustrations with the city.This project also gave us an opportunity to create a truly full-service product, from design to a launch campaign, combining expertise in UX, illustration, animation, copywriting, strategy and web development.
Concept Development
The idea had been floating around the studio for a while, starting off as an April Fools joke that gained a good amount of traction the idea lingered with us for a while. After a workshop during our last company trip we decided to make it real, to create a game that would let players experience a fictional year in Bangkok, capturing both the highs and lows of this chaotic city’s lifestyle.
The Prototype
We spent hours playing different types of board games picking out what we liked from each to combine into what we thought would allow us to represent all sides of Bangkok life.
We focused on surviving the “pains” of Bangkok through various obstacles like rent payments, career changes, and unexpected surprises and of course traveling.
Game Mechanics
We went through many iterations of the game, playing over lunches and after work to perfect the length of the game and making sure it always made us laugh and cry in equal measures.
Hand-Drawn Artwork
Each team member contributed ideas and illustrations capturing Bangkok’s vibrancy, with over 100 unique scenes, characters, and quirky moments.
Copywriting & Tone
Our writing style was humorous and conversational, matching the game’s light-hearted tone while reflecting Bangkok’s daily life. We developed the copy for all the Pain and Gain cards, instructions, and all promotional materials in-house, weaving a playful tone throughout.
Bringing It to Life
Each game box is a hand-packed labour of love, with our team fighting through the heat and crowds to source miniature tokens from Bangkok’s iconic markets, and working with suppliers to make sure everything from the velvet soft back of the board to the way it folds was as we envisioned.
Social Media
The campaign began with a series of memes and animations introducing the pains and frustrations of living in Bangkok.
Animation
These animations were released across social media to build empathy and engage followers in the lead-up to launch.
Website Design
We built a dedicated website to serve as the digital home of Bangkok Pains, combining striking visuals with interactive elements that showcase the game’s style.
Our dev team used advanced Three.js and GSAP technologies, allowing users to interact with 3D elements, animated illustrations, and game features online.
This website brought together all our in-house teams—UX design, animation, photography, and advanced programming—to create an immersive experience that reflects the city’s bustling energy and the game’s unique concept.
Take a look! invisibleink.asia/bkkpains
Music Composition and Hero Video
The hero video is where we wanted to bring everything together, using 2D and 3D elements we captured Bangkok’s vibrant chaos ending with a realistic product showcase.
The final touch was commissioning a Thai classical crossover track celebrating Bangkok’s ceremonial name (The longest city name in the world), adding a true local flavour to the game experience.
Launch Strategy
We planned and strategically rolled out content across several weeks, from teaser posts to photography around the city and previews of Pain and Gain cards.
We shared the game with local influencers and Bangkok-based media to build awareness and let people experience first hand all the pains. Bangkok’s ceremonial name (The longest city name in the world), adding a true local flavour to the game experience.
